Question

Why is the atmosphere a selective absorber of electromagnetic radiation and why does the surface behave almost like a black body?

Answer 1

Answer:

As explained below.

Explanation:

• The atmosphere on earth is mostly a result of the interaction of solar winds and earth gravitational pull. The planet takes incoming shortwave insolation that heats the surface from above and charges the surface from below.

• At night it gives this absorbed energy as a black body out in the space when it completes a cycle of 12 hours and this in long waveforms of energy with IR radiation that is quite less as compared to that of suns.

• Like a black body, the earth radiated this heat bk as it cannot afford to keep much as is to balance the energy flow within and out of the earth system.